Thursday’s TPS Report: Kova & T Silk wrap-style blouse

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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.

Call me crazy, but I really like this unusual silk wrap blouse from Kova & T. Love the red piping, the abstract black and white pattern, the high waist — it strikes me as a chic and cool look. I’d wear it with a black pencil skirt, most likely, and keep accessories simple. Was $250, now $87.50 at TheOutnet.com. Silk wrap-style blouse

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Seen a great piece you’d like to recommend? Please e-mail [email protected] with “TPS” in the subject line.(L-2)

I thought the same thing until I actually clicked through – it isn’t gray, it is actually a B&W print. I kind of love it, now, though I am not sure how it could be worn in the winter. A little too thin to be layered under, a little too detailed a lapel to be layered over.

I guess I should clarify: it looks less like a nursing top and more like a hospital johnny in which one could and would nurse, or the paper vest thing my OB.GYN makes me wear (that thing never stays closed!). There are some great looking maternity and nursing clothes out there, but this looks like it is all business.

I have a Banana card, and I shop at both Banana and Gap. I’ve started getting coupons every morning in my inbox. Not sure if it’s because I buy online, because I have a card, or because I clicked “email me with deals” (or whatever) at some point long ago.

I seem to get them all the time (to the point where I don’t buy anything less than 30% off at either store now).

I have a BR Luxe card, I shop at Gap and BR a lot, and I do a lot of online shopping. There’s also a place on the website where cardholders can enter their email addresses to be notified of sales/special offers, so I signed up there as well. I believe you can earn rewards points on your card just for signing up for email offers.

I am a Luxe card holder and must have signed up for BR emails through several different accounts – I get coupons in my gmail inbox, my yahoo inbox, and my .edu inbox. I think if you are a BR card holder and sign up for emails through your account, you get the 40% off ones.

I love this! I love how different it is. Now that the weather is getting colder, I’m realizing that I don’t have enough long sleeve tops. Any suggestions for where to look for long sleeved tops that are not just regular button downs? One other issue for me is that I’m 6′ tall, so my arms are long. TIA!

I just got some from Ann Taylor that I would not recommend for you. I do have disproportionally long arms, but I’m only 5’4″. I bought some long sleeved t-shirt type tops from there without trying on, and when I got them home, the sleeve were about an inch too short even for me.

Banana Republic has some knit cowl-neck long-sleeve tops – I love them and actually bought them in three colours (black, dark grey, and coral). I think they also have them in oatmeal and a dark green. I’m finding them perfect for work, plus they’re super comfortable. I think they’re $55CAD (I grabbed my second 2 during the 25% off sale this weekend, though). And a much cheaper option but ok for wearing under something else, dressed up with scarf, etc, H&M has some sort of $12-14 long-sleeve tees.

I just looked at the Banana Republic ones and really love them – I noticed though that there appears to be a diagonal seam across the chest (if these are indeed the same ones). For the person who bought them – is that not annoying? I’m wondering how it would sit…

HI KW–I too have monkey arms and am 5’11. These aren’t fancy enough for work, but great for layering–I just checked out Merona’s crew, turtleneck and scoopneck long-sleeve tees at Target (not sure if they’re online). They are miraculously short enough in the torso but very long in the arms. I’m in love with them. They were like $10 each too. Great deal! The other tees that have long arms are JCrew’s but I balk at the prices and always wait for sales.

I am looking for thing long-sleeve shirts appropriate to wear under short-sleeve shirts for the layered look. Would you recommend these? I don’t want something that’s too thick and bulky. I also want something that isn’t too obviously a “casual T-shirt” and therefore too casual for work.

I don’t know if I like it or not; I think I would have to try on to see. But I do like the color combination of black, red, and gray. Today, I saw a woman on the subway wearing a very light gray dress with a black blazer, black tights & dark red shoes & she looked absolutely fabulous. It’s so easy to get stuck in style ruts, I am trying to make an effort to mix & match things outside of my normal “comfort zone.”

I think it looks like one of those faux jackets you wear to the gym. Not really a jacket because it doesn’t have sleeves for warmth, but it covers up your gym gear underneath. I think the leggings the mannequin is wearing in the photo aid in that image.

I might wear it with a red long-sleeved T underneath, skinny jeans, and ballet flats on a weekend, depending on how it looked in person (I can see where other people are getting the “spa attendant” vibe, but I think it would depend on how heavy the fabric was and how it hung).

Sorry for the threadjack but I just heard some wonderful news for those of us in NYC. Nordstrom is opening a real store in Soho next fall! All the profits are supposed to be donated to nonprofits as well. Excellent news!

I am vegetarian but have somehow never gotten into the habit of eating salads. I eat lots of vegetables, but they’re always cooked, not fresh. Can someone recommend a tasty, easy to make salad that I can eat a few times a week? I’m someone who needs salad AND a main meal so it doesn’t have to serve as an entree. I don’t eat any seafood, beef, or chicken (eggs ok though). Would also appreciate an easy to make dressing that I could use with the salad. Thanks!

Romaine lettuce and variety of cut vegetables thrown in. (I usually do green peppers, broccoli, tomatoes (technically a fruit, I know), carrots, cabbage. Then I throw in two small cubes of really delicious cheese as a treat for me for eating so healthy (midwestern girl here) and a hard boiled egg for protein.

I also throw leftover taco stuff from the night before into a salad – lettuce, leftover beef/chicken/tofu (whatever main taco fixing you used that’s seasoned), black olives, cheese, tomatoes, green peppers. Usually you don’t even need a dressing for this one b/c of the seasoning on the meat (tofu for you). If it’s really lacking flavor, I’ll do a dab of hot salsa.

I adapted this recipe, if you can even call it that, from when I studied abroad in Barcelona. I don’t eat fish. My “senora” homestay mom could NOT cook to save her life. So, she would improvise, and this was one of her better dishes. I ate this, bread, and salchichas (sausages, dried, like salamis), along with oreos, freezer pizza, beer, beer, beer, more beer, and some spanish indulgences and lost 15 pounds in four months.

I love variations on greek salad. My favorite is spinach leaves with tomatos, cucumbers, green peppers, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and oregano. You can do no dressing, a little olive oil, a combo of olive oil/balsamic vinegar, or any balsamic vinaigrette.

I also love just cutting up tomatos and cucumbers and eating them with italian dressing.

My roommate often carmelizes onions and puts them over spinach leaves with goat cheese and bacon. I don’t know if you’re into fake bacon but you could try that as well.

I make a honey mustard vinaigrette with a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, a splash of olive oil, a squirt of honey, a dab of mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk and pour on. But honestly, I usually buy dressing – Trader Joe’s has a really good selection.

Variations: I simplify the dressing by skipping the shallots (I’ve used them before and they don’t add much, IMO) and I generally use whatever vinagers I have on hand. I don’t add the radicchio, either, so it’s just spinach. Chunked monzzarella works really well in place of the blue cheese. The spiced pecans are delicious (I sometimes make them to give away during the holidays), but a lot of trouble. It’s still very good with just plain toasted nuts. Sometimes I add purple grapes, too.

Depending on how much cheese and nuts you use, this works well as a side or as a light main course, in my experience.

Spinach, mandarin oranges, green onions, sugared/spiced pecans, goat cheese in a citrus vinaigrette (I use a mix of lemon, lime and orange juice, honey, mustard, EVOO, white wine vinegar and a dash of cayenne). I usually top this with a spicy grilled chicken – if you like tofu, you could use that perhaps?

I would say that the key to getting into salad is to buy really good ingredients — if the ingridients are good, just about any combo works.

My go-to is some variation of this:

Mix of dark leafy greens (I buy bagged mixes usually, just to keep it simple — arugula, radicchio, romaine, whatever) Tomato, diced Cucumber, diced Apple or pear, diced Roasted red/yellow/orange pepper (fresh if I am too lazy to roast; I “roast” by putting a pepper on my stove top on a med. flame & rotate till it turns black, then remove the blackened skin; it gets done while I dice the rest; you could also buy roasted peppers) Avocado or corn or whatever else I have on hand Balsamic dressing or just some Avocado Oil & sea salt, with a bit of spice like paprika or whatever spice you fancy.

It’s all fairly interchangeable. In a pinch, omit the pepper. You can make your own dressing easily, but if that feels like too much work, I am a big fan of Amy’s Organics dressings — the balsamic & green goddess are both really good. I think the key is just to start.

One of my all time favorites in the summer is just loads of good, fresh tomatoes & cucumbers, tossed w salt & pepper & maybe some fresh herbs. No dressing required; the tomato juices suffice, but if you like add a splash of olive or avocado oil. It’s delicious.

Can of chickpeas in a food processor with a tiny splash of olive oil + some salt & pepper, and then heat up = instant, yummy chickpea soup. Add water to thin if you like; garnish w/flat leaf parsley, or whatever is on hand, if you want to be fancy.

It takes just slightly more time than making ramen noodles & makes you feel all good about yourself & healthy afterwards. I can’t tell you how many times I have done this late night in lieu of a greasy pizza slice. It’s a saver.

Salad 2: (some cooking) Green bell peppers that you roast (usually I put the pepers directly to the flames of the gas furnace) but you could also barbecue them. Peel the roasted skin (should be burnt a bit), remove the seeds. Chop into small pieces and ass salt and chopped skinless, seedlesss tomatoes

Salad3: (More elaborate) Peel and cut eggplant. Cook them in a steamer. Fry some garlic cloves with salt in little olive oil, add the eggplants and mash them. Add black pepper and hot pepper to taste. If you feel like it, you can add some ground black olives to the mixture.

Herb Mix (boxed spring mix with herbs in the salad mix) grape tomatoes (love these as you don’t have to chop up half a regular tomato and let the other half go bad in the fridge) pre-shredded bagged carrots olives

I’m a veggie, too (and not all that fond of salad usually). One thing that has turned me around a bit: Throw on some cottage cheese on instead of dressing. The amount of protein is great and you feel full for a long time.

I also like to add green olives occasionally. The kick of salt and flavor can take something so-so to truly fantastic.

I’ve been thinking about the various things you can wear under the jacket of a very tailored black pantsuit so that it looks interesting with the jacket on but when you take off the jacket you are wearing something that is sexy and fun. This top might just work!

There is a woman at work (another associate attorney) who constantly walks around in a tank top. I mean, summer style, I’m going for a walk in the park, and it’s 90 degrees on a Saturday tank top. It just irks me. I think it’s fine if you are at your desk (and even then, in my modesty I would close the door) but to parade the halls – Nooo. Just had to vent, as she just walked by my office door. Getting off my soap box now.

haha I had one of “those” at my last office. The AA insisted on wearing spaghetti strap tank tops with sports bras EVERY.DAY. And she got really into tattoos for a while– in February, it was just her bare back staring at me all day (with snow on the ground). By May, she had an entire garden and bug collection tattooed on her back. Peeking out from behind the sports bra, of course. She just thought she was adorable and everyone LOVED her half-nakedness. Nope.

So strange. Bosses never said anything about it to her face, mostly because she was behind the scenes in a bull pen and no clients ever really saw her. Thank god. haha end rant, too.

We have a woman at my work who wears cocktail/short prom-style dresses to work fairly regularly. Usually these dresses are short and sparkly with plunging necklines. A tank top would really be pushing her limits (way too modest/toned down. I find it amusing to see what she might wear at each day.

And, what’s better: in conversation, she revealed that she had after-work plans to go to the theater/opera/something of that nature. I assumed that she picked the dress BECAUSE of said plans and would be going straight from work, and made a comment to that effect. She looked very puzzled and replied that, no, she would be going home first to change…

I also have a soapbox moment: I was irked when one of my colleagues changed in the bathroom at the end of the work day into her running shorts and tank top and walked back into the office like that to get the rest of her stuff (p.s. we have a trading floor setup!).

Why did that bother you if she only walked through once to get her stuff?

I can understand that it is not professional to walk around in a spaghetti strap tank top all day, but it does not seem that unprofessional to wear running clothes for a couple of minutes as you’re headed out.

I think some people are just uncomfortable with lots of skin showing at the office. We have a support person who sometimes changes into short shorts to go running at lunch. No one says anything when she does this, but people always stare; and men sometimes ogle. It’s enough to make me never think of doing something like that.

But I try to cut people slack for this stuff as we’re all busy & need to find time where we can. What I cannot abide are people who do the following: clip nails in the office (former officemate); bring in food so pungeant that the microwave & entire office smells for at least 30 min after use & that makes any food microwaved immediately after smell like their curried salmon, etc. (same officemate); people who talk in a baby voice to their SO at their desk (different officemate); and people who badger/guilt you into buying their kids’ girl scout cookies or whatever else (shouldn’t the kids be selling the cookies, not the parents??????) The point is we all have gripes. I guess to each her own :)

Yeah, but that seems like an issue that’s easy to ignore…you aren’t being hit up for cookies, forced to smell punget odors, etc…just ignore and deal-if you are this worked up about someone walking back to get their stuff to go running, how stressful is the rest of your life?

Totally agree anon (68), its shocking to me how judge-y some people are. I agree that walking around in skimpy clothes during work hours is totally inappropriate, but after work if someone can work in some exercise and its most convenient to get changed at work I don’t see the big deal.

Oh man, this happens every time I try to simply share a pet peeve or irksome moment on this board lately. Why do I (and others who express opinions, even if the majority of Corporettes disagree) have to be lambasted just for simply sharing something we found troublesome at the office? It’s not like I am reporting my colleagues to HR or AG for their wardrobe choices, nor am I gossiping with actual coworkers who know the identity of the person in question. So why is it that because I wanted to comment that I find wearing short spandex in front of partners – even for 5 mins – unfavorable, that I am automatically thrown to the wolves by other commenters and told to either get a life or that I must be so terribly stressed out in life? I am fine thank you anon and CJ, but I know better now than to say anything that might be even remotely debatable on this board. This used to be a fun blog, but now I just feel like going anonymous all the time or refraining from commenting altogether.

Also, I’ve noticed that it is okay to describe apparel as dowdy, boring, matronly, etc. – but if you dare to suggest something is skimpy, too short, revealing, tight, etc., people are up in arms. Maybe women don’t do each other any favors when we say that we think a certain outfit is inappropriately sl*tty, but you know what else doesn’t do women any favors? Spandex and cleavage in the workplace.

There is so much pressure on women to be perfect all the time and do the right thing all the time. I think if a woman is dressed appropriately while working and competent at her job why do we have to add additional pressure? I don’t care what the person may wear; tight, short gym clothes (which are also more comfortable and functional while working out, especially running) or dowdy, matronly or boring. There is no reason to judge others for clothes and if you think someone is doing something inappropriate, why not politely find a way to mention it to the person and help them out?

Well my issue is that since you have to change in the bathroom anyway, why not just take your stuff with you and leave straight from the bathroom to the elevator. Going back to your desk means standing in front of the partners in your short shorts, which is entirely avoidable. I dont know, maybe Im off, but I wouldnt do it.

I think for me, why this complaint is difficult to stomach, is that unlike most other behaviors, this is something a lot of us may have done and feel defensive at the idea someone has such a problem with it…

I agree, I’ve walked through my office (both while in private practice and now in a govt job) after work hours after changing into gym clothes and I see nothing wrong with it and will continue to do it.

I see no issues if someone walks through wearing longer length shorts and a tshirt. I don’t think it is appropriate for anyone (male or female) to be wearing spandex or short shorts, or a 2-in-1 sports bra/tank top.

Argh, got the “posting too quickly error” on my first comment of the day…

I work in regional biglaw (300+ attys in the office), and although we don’t have an open-plan setup, if I’m running home from work, I change in my office at the end of the day. So people see me in my running gear as I head for the elevators.

I frequently run at lunch time and change in the office locker room. But my office has a strong fitness culture (a group of us do marathons together, and the firm occasionally pays the entry fees for races). So even our managing partner has seen me in my spandex running tights, but here, it’s more of a plus than a minus.

No offense here, but I think your soapbox is entirely unjustified here. It’s not like she walked around for two hours in running shorts. People in my office do this all the time at the end of the day, and more power to them for making exercise a priority.

I change into my workout clothes at the end of the day (sweats, long-sleeve t-shirt with a regular t-shirt on top) and I’m always sooo embarrassed when I run into a coworker dressed like that. I try to leave the office from the bathroom right after I’ve changed so I feel particularly genius when I realize that I left my sneakers at my desk. So interesting what different people feel comfortable doing at work.

I think the issue is whether someone is dressing inappropriately for work or wears/changes into something briefly at work that is not work-appropriate. I don’t care if someone ends the day in bike shorts in order to go to the gym, and I don’t care if someone ends the day in an LBD that shows too much leg/breast in order to go to an evening event. But I would care if someone spent the day underdressed/overdressed/showing too much skin. And honestly I think I would care more if that person had a great body — because I would be jealous and competitive. But changing into gym clothes, even if they have thin straps or whatever, doesn’t strike me as complaint-worthy (even if I would feel a tinge of jealousy).

I totally understand. I’m careful to change in the public bathroom downstairs as opposed to in my office bathroom when I’m switching into airplane clothes or something else that I wouldn’t normally wear in the office. I’d find it frustrating if other people in my office felt like the unspoken “rules” that I’m following didn’t apply to them… though if more and more people did it, the better for me.

I have a random question — I am looking for a thin turtle neck similar to the Jcrew or Gap tissue thin ones in a dark forest green color. Neither place has one. Has anyone come across a really thin, dark green turtleneck anywhere??

Slight re-post: would you recommend the J Crew tissue thin long-sleeve shirts for layering? I want something not too bulky to put all sorts of random shirts over it, and not too casual to look I’m in high school double-layering my T-shirts (I was *so* into this trend).

I love the tissue thin j crew shirts; gap makes nice ones, too. I don’t think it looks high school at all b/c they’re made in a very thin & fine material. For me highschool shirt layering is associated more with thicker, or ribbed, shirts; and esp. in certain colors like white, baby pink & baby blue, or red. I don’t mind the white & red so much, but I really do have bad associations with ribbed + layering for some reason. Anyway, MM, I think you’d be fine with the tissue thin. I just wish they came in a dark forest green!

Another related question – I have the JCrew tissue turtleneck in black, and it’s vaguely see-through – great for layering, but I’d love one that I could wear by itself. Thicker turtlenecks make me feel like I’m choking – it’s only the tissue ones that are comfortable – but has anyone found a thin turtleneck that isn’t see-through? I liked the Target ones (much cheaper than JCrew!) but still see-through.

I have the same chocking problem & have not found a thin turtle neck that doesn’t show a bit. But — what I do which helps is wear a nude color bra. It seems to show much less or not at all than wearing a black or whatever other color.

If I dont order the dark green sweater from JCrew (thanks, SbL), I might stop by Talbots to see how this fits — it’s a different color from what I wanted but very gorgeous green.

As for Land’s End — I have had terrible fit issues with them over the years so am a bit hesitant to order online but maybe I will see about the Canvas line as that seems to be somewhat differently cut.

Kat, when I scroll to the bottom of your page I see a whole bunch of keywords in fine print, a lot of them completely random, a lot of them about v|agra, cia|is, etc. Are you running some kind of spam operation? ;) Or are those your stopwords displayed? Is this some kind of SEO strategy?